All Eyes On Me
by pamwhodeathforgot
Summary: All I want to do is get to bed, to escape reality. The only problem is, reality almost always haunts my dreams. And since I'd rather be tired than have nightmares, I won't be sleeping tonight. All eyes are on me. Brynjolf said so himself.


I shove food into my mouth, not really paying attention to what I'm eating. Venison stew, mud crab cakes, they're all tasteless. All I want to do is get to bed, to escape reality. The only problem is, reality almost always haunts my dreams. And since I'd rather be tired than have nightmares, I won't be sleeping tonight.

All eyes are on me. Brynjolf said so himself.

Everyone would be watching to see how I would do at my first job, as the newest member of the Guild. I've never been one to like attention, the opposite in fact, so this is absolutely terrifying. The Guildmaster herself even said that she took interest in me.

She approached me one afternoon. I had just returned from completing some jobs, courtesy of Delvin and Vex, when she walked up to my table in the Flagon and sat down.

I had to look away. Her blood red Dunmer eyes were too much. She leaned casually back in her chair, throwing a shoulder-length, vibrant red curtain of hair over her shoulder. We sat in silence for a few seconds before she leaned forward, grey fingers forming a steeple.

At first, I didn't know that she was the Guildmaster. I knew it was a she, and that she was Dunmer. I had seen glimpses of her around the Cistern and the Flagon. But she was always in her Guild armor. This time she wasn't; instead, she wore a dark blue shirt with brown pants, and was clearly pregnant. She was almost unrecognizable. In fact, I wouldn't think she was truly the Guildmaster if not for her bright red hair.

"I've taken an interest in you," she said. Her voice was clear and smooth, and brought to mind the crisp fall days of Valenwood. She didn't hesitate but got straight to her point.

"Um…" I was speechless. The Guildmaster was talking to me, a lowly member of the Guild that she basically owns.

"Correction," a small smile twists her lips. "Brynjolf and I have taken interest in you." I was terrified. The Guildmaster and Guild Second had taken interest in me? Was that good or bad? "It's a good thing." Can she read my mind? "You remind me of myself, back when I first joined the Guild. A lone elf, fleeing from her family, thieving to get by…" Briefly she closed her eyes, smiling.

All I could manage was, "You're Dunmer."

"Correct!" She threw head back and laughed loudly. "And you're a Bosmer! Once more, you remind me of myself a few years ago. But on to business, as reluctant as I am to say that." This time she met my eyes directly; blood red and autumn orange. Self-consciously I reached up and tugged at my hair.

"I have a special mission for you," she explained. "Lately, the amount of honey arriving for the Black-Briar Meadery from Goldenglow Estate has been… lacking. Maven, the owner, and a very influential client of ours, has reason to suspect that Aringoth, who runs Goldenglow, had been keeping the honey for himself. They have a deal, see. Aringoth gets protection, and Maven gets her honey. It seems that we may need to, hm, threaten him a bit to make sure he gives her the honey she needs. So, it's your job to sneak into the estate and burn one of the beehives."

She leaned back, giving me a moment to absorb this. I have to do what?

Obviously noting my confusion, she grinned. "At least, that's what Bryn wants me to tell you. But really, it's just a story. See, my first official job involved burning some of Godenglow's beehives. It's sort of a running joke amongst the Guild. So, can you do it?"

My mouth was too dry for me to speak, so I just nodded.

"Good!" The Guildmaster stood with a bit of difficulty and winked at me. "Don't disappoint."

As she turned and walked away, I bit my lip before my curiosity got the best of me. "Wait! Guildmaster!"

The tall Dunmer paused, glancing over her shoulder as I jogged so I could stand next to her. I felt so short. "Please, don't call me 'Guildmaster.' Valaye's the name."

"Yes, um…" I shifted nervously. I didn't want to offend her. "If I may ask, and if you want to answer… Who's the father?"

She smiled softly, her hands gently resting on her curved stomach. "That's for you to find out on your own."


End file.
